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Abyss
Domain Abyss is the "God" of darkness, dreams, and distortion. It is said that where ever there is darkness or shadow, there is also the Abyss, watching, considering, and weighing. In particular, total and absolute darkness is beholden to Abyss, so caves and lightless underground temples tend to be the chief places of worship of it. However, Abyss also covers the darkness of space, that blackness between the stars, and the darkness of the Void and beyond. Dreams and lapses in consciousness are another aspect of the entity. Nightmares are especially potent, and dreams are often the supposed method among the Covens for messages from Abyss. It is also said that, when the vast blank space of a dreamless sleep or the stillness of death arrives, then that person is truly with Abyss. It is supposed that Abyss' realm and form are so incomprehensible that the mind simply leaves a blank space where the memory of it should be. Lastly, there is distortion. Abyss not only is the cause of all mutation, but is also a being of theoretical distortion and paradox, warping the very fabric of what is, was, and will be. Even time is known to be hazy around it. Similarly, distortion of the world through black magic and certain forms of sorcery are thought to be closely tied to Abyss. Mutation, though, is the most well-known sign of Abyssal influences and presence. It is a common occurrence in the Nightlands, but can manifest in other areas to a very minor degree. Those who worship Abyss often will acquire at least one mutation in their lifetime. History Abyss is a strange entity, one that was unknown in reality until the War of the Gods, when the conflict drew Its attention to the world. The Deep Couple, seeing that Abyss was not allied with the Gods and chiefly a creature of darkness, asked for aid against the Gods, but Abyss never took part in the War one way or another, content to watch and offer nothing in the way of aid besides idle comments and philosophies. After said war, Abyss stayed, regularly interacting with both the Gods and with the Banished Couple. Before all this, however, there were visitations to other realms. At one point Abyss was injured in some way, and it is generally accepted to have happened in a vast battle with the Demon-Gods. In the end, Abyss murdered Umbrine, then taking it as both a secondary form and as a vast, terrible prison for the Demon-Gods and Outer Ones It had devoured so long ago. One of the most inspired paintings in Ghraethetcheckt culture, in fact, is a scene of infinite blackness and eyes, tendrils coiling around broken forms of varying Demon-Gods that eternally cry and wail in the vast dark. Forms and Symbology Abyss is, as one religious philosopher put it, a 'theoretical being'. It is known that Umbrine is the primary means of manifestation for the entity, a proxy it uses to interact with the world of the Gods, and Umbrine is most often seen as a near-infinite darkness filled to the brim with Eyes that may occasionally flicker with blue-green ghostfire or the more ominous black fire. Umbrine is malleable, and can warp itself into a dark copy of anything Abyss chooses, or simply shapeshift about as It chooses. Some of the greatest scholars on the subject debate over what, precisely, is behind that mass of Eyes and Shadows. In fragments of a work suspected to be Berimund's, there is a passage that reads 'The One who waits behind the great entity of the Dark, for all intents and purposes, both exists and does not exist, simultaneously. Until the Dark is removed, It is all things, and at the same time is nothing at all. But even I hope . . . I truly do . . . that the Dark is never taken away, lest the world see true Nothingness, Madness in Its greatest and most terrible form.' Thus, Abyss might be called 'Schroedinger's God', a theoretical existence and inexistence held in the 'box' of Umbrine. Symbols for Abyss are varied, but the most common is the spiral, as it indicates infinity, a key aspect of Abyss, as well as chaotic, indeterminate growth. The Eye is another usual symbol, as the Dark is always watching and has an infinite number of Eyes with which to do so. Dark stones, particularly obsidian, jet, and black opals, are symbolic of the darkness of the entity, and used extensively in rituals and ritualistic items pertaining to Abyss. Brambles have a similar association. Bats and centipedes are also associated with It. Blue-green flames are common in Abyssal rites, but no one yet has managed to call up, chemically or magically, black flames. Worship Abyssal worship is vastly different in the Nightlands and elsewhere. In the Nightlands, where it is the main religion and openly practiced, it is a religion focused on, at the highest level, reading the esoteric scriptures and papers on the subject of Abyss, passed down from priest to priest, as well as contemplation of Abyss and quiet faith. Said scripture promotes acceptance, particularly of change, and to look past the physical form, as it is at best merely an aesthetic tool to please oneself and those you care for. Random changes in physical form are gifts given by the Voice of the Void, to show that the body is really not that important in defining who you are. As such, those worshipping Abyss tend to be acceptant of others with very different physical traits than themselves, and highly resistant to prejudice based on those features. Mutations, barring the most horrific, are calmly taken in stride. The texts similarly promote the idea of changing the body to suit your own aesthetics. Further readings tend to be highly confusing, detailing paradoxes of life and death, something rather like quantum mechanics in practical terms, and nihilistic philosophies. Still, Abyss is venerated in them all. Interestingly, none of the works speak any kind of afterlife whatsoever in correlation to Abyss. Worship tends to take place in dark places like caves and underground areas, though some ritual may take place in the forest at night. For those unable to see in the dark, lanterns designed to burn blue-green are used for illumination. In the other lands, however, Abyssal worship is abhorred, reactions ranging from distrust to outright violence and mobs. As such, Abyssal Covens in those areas tend to be far more secretive, meeting in out-of-the-way places. They also, due to the oppression, tend to be less peaceful, but still not violent unless it is clear the cult is in danger. In all cases, however, a personal relation with Abyss is emphasized more than group worship, knowing that the darkness loves you, and that you are safe within it. Abyss is similarly the patron of mutants, outcasts, and those who practice the darker aspects of magic the world over. Deiology Category:Deiology